Ben 10 Multiverse: Beetle Tennyson
by SaurusRock625
Summary: Tired of being in his cousin's shadow, Ben Tennyson leaves home after being chosen by a strange, alien artifact. He meets up with several, superpowered individuals and forms a team of superheroes with them. What sort of adventures await them? Find out here! Takes place in the Gwen 10 Timeline.
1. Chapter 1

_**With this version of a Ben 10 crossover with Teen Titans, I had been watching a lot of clips with Blue Beetle in them. Then again, I've seen plenty of other Beetles out there in the DC world. Blue Beetle, Green Beetle, Black Beetle, Scarlet Scarab/Red Beetle, heck, even a Blood Beetle! As a But have no worries, readers. I'm confident that I can make this story a great one. Hakuna Matata!**_

 _ ***I still don't own Ben 10 or Teen Titans!***_

* * *

"Khaji Da!" = Normal Speech

 _'Khaji Da!' = Thoughts_

 **"Khaji Da!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **Prologue: A Brooding Child…**_

* * *

It was a half hour past midnight in the home of one Ben Tennyson, but one inhabitant of the home was far from sleeping. And that inhabitant is Ben Tennyson himself.

The green eyed, brown haired boy lay awake in his bed as he contemplated on his life so far. On a summer road trip when he was ten years old, his doofus cousin, Gwen, found an alien watch known as the Omnitrix. With it, she could access the DNA of several different alien lifeforms and use their powers as her own by transforming into them. Using this power, she became a universal renowned super hero.

Currently, she and Ben work as members of the Plumbers, a group of galactic policemen who keep the peace in the universe. However, despite the fact that Ben himself is a highly skilled member of the Plumbers and has won many a battle with weapons training and close range fighting skill, it's always his cousin who gets all the glory. Even his own family cares far more about her than they do about him.

As a result, he's begun to harbor deep feelings of hatred and envy for his cousin and the Plumbers in general. I mean, his partner in the Plumbers, Rook Blonko, he's an okay guy in Ben's book. A little dense about Earth customs, but he's got a good heart.

Still, Ben can't help but sigh as he rolled over in his bed to lay down on his belly. This mix of anger and envy has been keeping the boy up all night as he pondered his own future.

Was he destined to forever live in his cousin's shadow? Could he ever find a way to be the hero he's always wanted to be? Or will he succumb to these negative emotions that make him so confused.

Ben yawned and closed his eyes.

These questions were going to have to wait. He's finally feeling sleepy enough to fall asleep and plans to do just that.

But as Ben finally made his way to dream land, he failed to notice something crawling under his blanket and attaching itself to his spine. Something that is clearly not of this earth.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Well, that's the beginning of this story. Now, I'm going to need a little bit of help. Which Scarab should I give to Ben for this story? The Blue Scarab, Green Scarab, Black Scarab, Red Scarab, a Blood Scarab, or dare I say… Silver? Oh, perhaps I should give that hedgehog a call! I've been playing Sonic Forces… Nah, he's an idiot. Wait a second, where was I? Oh, right! Choosing a Scarab.**_

 _ **No, I'm personally leaning more towards the Black Scarab, but I'd like to hear all your thoughts on the matter. I'll see you all in my next update, whatever it may be!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Well, I got a couple of different reviews with mixed results for Ben's Scarab Beetle. Some of you wanted the Black Scarab, some blue, one blood, one Scarlet, and more recently, one for Green. But, among all those beetle colors, I think I've found one that I believe I can give a pretty good backstory for Ben's predecessor. But just know that this chapter will also be shorter, because I want to work on the title page for this story. You'll find it on my DeviantArt gallery once the third chapter of this story is posted.**_

 _ ***I still don't own Ben 10 or Teen Titans!***_

* * *

 _ **Leaving Home! - Apprenticeship With The Dark Knight!**_

* * *

Ben was rudely awoken from his slumber when he heard frantic knocking on his bedroom door. Grumbling, he opened his eyes and sat up while glaring at the door.

"I swear, if this is a Plumbers emergency alert at this time of day, I am going to kill someone!" grumbled Ben.

The door opened to reveal Ben's mother, Sandra Tennyson, holding some clean clothes for her son. She looked like she was in a hurry herself, but the boy just couldn't figure out why. But whatever it is must be important.

"Ben! Thank goodness you're up! Get dressed, quick! Mister Wayne is here!" Sandra exclaimed, handing the clothes to her son.

"Wayne…?"

That surprised Ben. What's multi-billionaire Bruce Wayne doing here, of all places? Whatever the reason, this is something he's got to see for himself! He quickly got up and changed into his semi-casual clothes, a black T-shirt tucked into a pair of baggy blue jeans, a brown belt and a pair of black shoes.

Once he was done with that, he walked into the living room to find Bruce Wayne sitting on the couch while his mother poured a cup of freshly brewed coffee to the man.

"I hope you don't mind that I used milk. We're out of cream." Sandra said.

"I prefer it." Bruce replied as he turned to look at Ben. "Ben. Sorry for getting you up so early on a Saturday morning."

"It's okay." Ben said. "If you don't mind me asking, though, why exactly are you here?"

"Oh, that's the good news. Mister Wayne is here to offer you a job." Sandra replied.

"A job?!" Ben exclaimed in both surprise and confusion.

Surprise at the fact that the famous Bruce Wayne was offering him a job, and confusion as to why. But he wasn't about to look a gift in the horse's mouth. This could be his big chance to prove himself to everyone, Gwen included. But that's not the only reason he's doing this. He knows that Bruce Wayne doesn't just hand out jobs left and right. He only offers them to those he knows have all of the right qualifications.

Bruce took a sip of his coffee and began to explain his situation to Ben.

"It's a simple task, really. In my time managing my company, I've managed to make it into one of the most successful in the world. However, there's only so much one man can do by himself, so I figured I'd hire someone to help me out. A partner, you might say. Would you be interested?"

"Of course he would, right, Ben?" Sandra asked her son.

"Yeah." Ben replied, genuinely interested.

"I should warn you, though, my line of work is not for slackers. I expect nothing but the best." Bruce warned.

But Ben wasn't the least bit intimidated. He knew exactly what he was getting into, and is determined to prove himself.

"I think I can handle it." Ben said.

"Well then, Ben Tennyson, welcome to my world."

Ben smiled and shook hands with Bruce, ready to do what he can to become all he can be. Oh, but if only he knew just what sort of crazy stuff was going to happen to him before the first year was even up.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Like I said, I'm gonna work on the title page for this story so that it'll be a little easier to find. I hope you guys don't mind the shorter chapter, as I needed some time to think everything through.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**The cover page is now up on my DeviantArt gallery, readers! Go check it out, and leave me some comments and all that jazz! Anyway, in this chapter, at least, I'll be revealing Ben's Scarab color. I'm pretty sure none of you would expect it, given this Beetle and its history. Anyway, read on and enjoy.**_

 _ ***I still don't own Ben 10 or Teen Titans!***_

* * *

 _ **"** **Suggested action: allow full control over weapons and combat." = Scarab Speech**_

* * *

 _ **Explanations and Scarabs!**_

* * *

The drive to Gotham City was a peaceful one, if not a little difficult to get to because of Ben's overbearing mother. The young male Tennyson had never been in a limousine before, so this was a new experience for him. In addition to having been given a job by Bruce Wayne himself, of course. Still, he had his doubts that Gwen and the Plumbers would let him go so easily. Something that Bruce seemed to pick up on.

"Something wrong, Ben?" Bruce asked.

"No, nothing too big. It's just… family troubles. Nothing you need to worry about." Ben replied.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with your cousin, the Omnitrix and the Plumbers, would it?"

Ben looked at Bruce, clearly shocked about that. How did Bruce Wayne know about any of those things?! They were some of the most classified secrets on planet Earth, and several other planets! Seeing his new apprentice's look of shock and confusion, Bruce merely smirked and reached over to a button with a bat logo on it.

"Don't look so surprised."

He pushed the button and the two of them were moved into the front of the limousine, revealing that the driver was just a hologram and that the car itself was on Autopilot. Ben yelped as Bruce was encased in a metal dome for a minute before the dome was removed, leaving Gotham City's famous hero, Batman, in his place. Not to mention that the limousine had transformed into the ever recognizable Batmobile.

Batman took the wheel and disengaged the autopilot as he gave Ben a sideways glance under his mask.

"Things like those are pretty easy to figure out in my line of work."

With that said, the Batmobile sped off to a dirt road away from Gotham City and into a secluded part of the woods. Ben watched in fascination as they came to a rock wall, only for two doors to open up and reveal a hidden entrance to a cave. The Batmobile drove into the cave with the doors closing behind it, and Ben suddenly found himself being driven through a series of winding roads within the cave.

It gave off this creepy feeling of solitude and mystery as the Batmobile came to a drifting stop on a platform in a large room. The top of the Batmobile opened up and Batman stepped out before he began walking towards the large computer.

"Home sweet home."

Ben stepped out of the car, his stomach feeling like he'd been dragged across Bellwood by Gwen in her Kineceleran form, and took a moment to collect himself and get rid of the nausea he was feeling. Once he got his bearings back, Ben gasped in astonishment at what he was seeing.

He was literally IN the Batcave! The one place, besides Superman's Fortress of Solitude, that was supposedly inaccessible to anyone other than Batman, Robin and Batgirl!

There was of course the Batcomputer, a display case with several of Batman's old costumes, a giant dinosaur statue, and, holy colossal currency, a giant penny! Ever since he was seven, Ben has dreamed of one day being in the Batcave in person and meeting Batman, Batgirl and Robin.

Speaking of whom…

"Hey, Batman, where are Robin and Batgirl?" Ben asked.

"Batgirl was rendered paralyzed from the waist down by the Joker during one of our earlier fights with him. She's currently on a trip to some temple where there's a type of powerful healing magic that should be able to give her back her ability to walk. As for Robin… we had an argument and he struck out on his own. I didn't want him to keep risking his life on these dangerous assignments we take on, and told him to stop being Robin and live a normal life. He didn't like that, and stormed off to do his own thing as a solo hero. I haven't heard from him since." Batman explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ben said, genuinely sorry that these things happened.

"Don't be. I suppose it was my fault for this. I told Robin to go against the very morals that he holds true, and he decided to just keep being a hero, whether I wanted him to or not." Batman replied. "But that's not why I've brought you here. You have something that could mean either great things for the planet, or bring great destruction."

Ben raised an eyebrow at that notion. True, both he and Gwen are ¼ Anodite on their grandmother Verdona's side, but neither of them had the 'Spark' needed to awaken those powers. So he really didn't understand what Batman meant by that statement.

As if he had read Ben's mind, Batman decided to elaborate on what he meant.

"I'm not talking about your Anodite heritage, Ben. I'm talking about a piece of ancient alien technology that is also sentient. I've been tracking this artifact for some time now, and I finally found it last night." Batman explained. "Tell me, Ben, did you ever feel something attaching itself to you last night during your sleep?"

Ben took a few seconds to think about that, and realized something that his earlier sleep addled mind hadn't been able to register upon their initial meeting.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I did feel something last night. It felt like a sharp pinch on my back, right between the shoulderblades. I thought I just slept wrong." Ben admitted.

"Then it's a good thing I found you before the Plumbers or your cousin tried anything stupid." Batman said.

He typed some things in on his Batcomputer and pulled up and image and data readings of something Ben didn't recognize at all.

It looked like some kind of Egyptian Scarab Beetle, only it seemed to be made of some kind of metallic substance. It was primarily black in color, but it had these kind of blackish-purple areas along the back of the exoskeleton. Ben doesn't know what it is about this scarab, but it's giving him bad vibes.

"What the heck is that thing?" Ben asked.

"It's the Black Scarab Beetle. It's a sentient machine of sorts created by an alien race known as the Reach. These Scarabs are sent out to various worlds to attach to a host body and exterminate much of the life on planets in order for the Reach to expand their territory, and create a type of global empire. However, your Scarab seems to be inactive to the hive mind effects of the Reach, meaning that you can think and act independently, as opposed to most other hosts of these Scarab Beetles." Batman explained.

"Well, can't you, I don't know, get it off of me?" Ben asked, not liking the idea of being a mind slave.

 _ **"That would be highly inadvisable."**_ said a new voice.

"Who said that?!" gasped Ben.

He looked around frantically, thinking that someone from the Plumbers might have followed him and Batman to the Batcave. But Batman was completely calm.

"I forgot to mention. In special cases like yours, the Scarab and the host form a mental like through which they can communicate with each other. What you heard was most likely your Scarab talking to you." Batman said.

"Is that true?" Ben asked, looking towards his back.

 _ **"** ** _I_ t is, Tennyson. I am the Black Scarab, and you are my chosen host body. With my technologically advanced powers and your human ingenuity, the Reach would be able to conquer the planet in as little as a fortnight. But as my link to them was not established when I was initially created, you won't have to worry about them taking over your mind. However, I may try and take over if the situation seems to be more than you can handle."**_

"Good enough for me, I suppose." Ben said to the Scarab. "And what did you mean by removing you would be inadvisable?"

 _ **"** ** _I_ meant exactly that. If a Scarab is forcibly removed from a host or destroyed while still attached to a host body, the host of the Scarab will also die. However, the Martian race from the planet Mars, due to their biology, seem to be able to survive something like that happening."**_

"That sounds just downright terrifying." Ben said, paling slightly.

 _ **"** ** _N_ ot to mention painful."**_

Batman figured that Ben was talking to the Scarab on his back and left to devise a schedule. Ben would need to learn how to control the powers granted to him by the Scarab if he was going to be an effective fighter, and Batman was going to have his fun tortor-er, I mean, TRAINING him.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Well, next chapter, we're going to see Ben and the other Titans get together and form their team. But I need to know now, what're your thoughts on what the pairing for this story should be. Do you have a certain girl you hope Ben will get together with, or would you rather have me go with the harem route in this story? Let me know in the reviews. See you guys in the next chapter of Raised by Lions.**_


	4. NOT A CHAPTER! SORRY!

_**I have several ideas of who to pair Ben with in this story. Some that are from the Teen Titans and DC franchises, others from the Ben 10 universe. Here they are.**_

 _ **Starfire, Blackfire, Raven, Terra, Cheetah, Looma, Charmcaster, Bleez, Supergirl, Powergirl, and Bumblebee.**_

 _ **Those are just ideas. I'm still trying to decide what to do about that. And I have reasons for why I want to pair Ben with these girls and can't decide who to use for the story.**_

* * *

 _ **Starfire: She's one of my all-time favorite members of the Teen Titans, along with Raven, Mas and Menos, Thunder and Wildebeest. She's sweet and innocent, but can be fierce and protective of those she cares about. But throughout the series, she's always been a bit naive when it comes to Earth's cultures. I figure that with Ben/Black Beetle dating her, not only can she quickly become accustomed to Earth customs, but she can help heal the emotional wounds that Ben has suffered in life.**_

* * *

 _ **Raven: She's wise and possesses great knowledge in the arcane arts, but has to maintain constant control of her emotions, lest her powers go haywire. With Ben dating her, she can finally show emotions without losing control of her own powers.**_

* * *

 _ **Blackfire: She's always had this kind of bad girl attitude and seems to harbor negative feelings towards her sister. For what reason, I don't know. But I do know that if she spent time with someone like Ben, who has a past similar to hers, she'll be reformed and become a great heroine on Earth.**_

* * *

 _ **Terra: As a rookie heroine who just recently discovered her powers of Terrakinesis, Terra has this underlying fear of hurting innocent people due to her own lack of control over her powers. Ben can relate to her situation, being a rookie hero himself and having little understanding of the Black Scarab's capabilities. And with him by her side, Terra would be far less likely to become Slade/Deathstroke's apprentice.**_

* * *

 _ **Bleez: As a member of the Red Lantern Corps., Bleez's life has been anything but easy. After having her wings torn off and being used as a slave by members of the Sinestro Corps., a Red Power Ring found its way to Bleez and turned her into a Red Lantern. Knowing her deep emotional pain, Ben would be able to relate to her greatly, and with time, both of their past scars will be able to heal.**_

* * *

 _ **Cheetah: Barbara Ann Minerva is just the victim of good intentions going wrong. Before she had become a criminal, she was just a scientist researching ways to help the human race by splicing human DNA with that of animals, but due to insufficient funding, she couldn't afford to get any test subjects. Desperate to show the fruits of her research in the scientific community, Barbara spliced her own DNA with that of a Cheetah, thus becoming what she is now. We all know how certain heroes are famous for being able to reform some villains, and if Ben were to be paired with Cheetah, one might say he'd be able to help her get her life back on track.**_

* * *

 _ **Looma: Looma Redwind, as a female Tetramand, is a proud and dignified warrior. She will wed only the strongest male who can defeat her in a fight, as per Tetramand custom, and Ben would end up being the unwitting suitor thanks to Kevin leaving that detail out. Plus, I just think they make a good couple, and with the Scarab, Ben might prefer strong women.**_

* * *

 _ **Charmcaster: As far as I can tell, her arch enemy is Gwen, so she and Black Beetle share a common enemy. Add in her quirky personality that she has in Omniverse, plus her own magic factor, and you've got a beautiful combination of sorceress and ancient alien tech! Not to mention that Ben can keep Charmcaster in line and keep her from reverting back to the life of crime.**_

* * *

 _ **Supergirl: Kara Zor El, AKA, Supergirl, is a teenager from the planet Krypton. And like her cousin, Clark, she gained incredible superhuman abilities by absorbing solar radiation from the Earth's yellow sun as opposed to the red sun of Krypton. However, Kara struggles with everyday life as a heroine due to the League and her cousin doubting her abilities as a hero. Ben has experienced similar doubts from his family and the Plumbers in general, so these two could help each other build up confidence in their abilities while also maturing into full fledged superheroes.**_

* * *

 _ **Powergirl: As a genetically engineered clone of Supergirl, Powergirl has all the powers and weaknesses of Kara. But being a clone means she'd be seen as nothing more than an artificial lifeform, like Red Tornado, and for Gwen and the Plumbers, that would be reason enough to call it Open Season. But with Ben around, he could help Powergirl to have an actual life rather than be seen as someone that shouldn't exist.**_

* * *

 _ **Bumblebee: As a mind slave to Brother Blood, Bumblebee has very little free will with that old fool messing around with her head. Ben would have similar experiences fighting the Scarab for control in the beginning, and as such, they'd most likely gravitate towards one another.**_

* * *

 _ **Those are my reasons for these girls. I'm thinking I'll post a poll for who Ben should be paired with and work from there. It'll be up after you read this chapter, so go ahead and cast your votes while I work on the next chapter. So, I'll see you all next chapter, and I'm sorry this isn't a real chapter.**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**After much thought and several good reviews from you all, I've decided to pair Ben with these girls for this story.**_

 _ **Starfire, Blackfire, Raven, Terra, Bleez and Cheetah.**_

 _ **But don't worry, the other Titan boys won't be left feeling lonely. I got plans for them that'll help them along. Trust me, it'll be a good surprise. Just know that you probably wouldn't expect these particular pairings.**_

 _ ***I don't own Ben 10 or Teen Titans!***_

* * *

 _ **Therapy And Phone Calls!**_

* * *

Back in Bellwood, Gwen Tennyson was not having a good day so far. She was still having to deal with the negative propaganda from Will Harangue while at the same time, having just stopped an Incursian Invasion. Those dumb frogs just don't know when to quit, it seems. And NOW, she has to deal with Blukic and Driba trying to impress her with another of their stupid inventions!

Clearly, someone up there hates her for something she did.

"Gwen, allow me to introduce our most epic version of the Beam Cannon yet! It'll sure pack more of a punch than its predecessor." Driba announced.

He and Blukic removed a tarp from a large gun that Kevin, Rook and even her cousin might've liked. But she just didn't care for it right now.

"And I care because…?"

"B-B-Because of Vilgax going after your cousin, Ben? You've wanted to kill him since FOREVER after that mission? He's the bane of your existence?" Driba explained.

"Oh, THAT was the OLD GWEN. THIS is a NEW GWEN, and she really doesn't care about a pathetic, squid-faced alien who chases after a watch like a mad fool." Gwen said, laughing a little. "It's hilarious, really."

But the two bumbling Galvans didn't look convinced by either her tone or her words. And she didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Look, I'll tell you what: you wanna destroy him? Go ahead. Who cares? I certainly don't. Not one bit at all."

And with that, Gwen left the room for her private Chambers where she could get some peace and quiet. But once we go there, we see that she's transformed into an alien called Ditto, and literally giving herself a therapy session. The original is laying on the bed, while a clone is dressed as a therapist.

"So, tell me what's been bothering you." the clone instructed.

"Well, you see, doc, it's been over six years since I got the Omnitrix already." said the original.

"It's been that long?" asked the clone, raising her glasses a bit.

"Yes. You see, that's the actual problem. Once I blew up at him for getting in the way on that one mission, I thought that we'd speak about it later, and maybe Ben would…"

She was interrupted by the clone therapist version of herself spoke up in a slightly stern voice.

"We don't say his name here. It is a safe place."

The original Ditto smiled sheepishly and poked her index fingers together as she tried to collect herself. That was a bit embarrassing to literally be told off by herself.

"Right. Sorry, doctor. Well, I-I just assumed that eventually over time, the bad blood between us would just…"

 **"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"** both clone and original screamed.

The original Ditto calmed down and soon sank back into the bed as self pity and a sense of self loathing began to take hold. She felt it was her own fault that there was bad blood between her and her cousin, and now she was paying the price for it.

"But he just hasn't mellowed out. I mean, like, at all. He just up and became an apprentice to Bruce Wayne. It looks like he'll hate us all forever! I… I just don't know if I can handle that."

Ditto sat up and got into a fetal position as her duplicate therapist wrote everything down on her clipboard. She understood exactly what was going on.

"Yes. It would seem as though the lack of positive reinforcement has affected his emotional state. It's quite the conundrum."

"Yeah, it is. Uh, what is that again?" the original Ditto asked.

"Oh, just a confusing or difficult problem." replied her duplicate.

That's when the two Dittos began to stare at the audience with this odd look in their eyes.

"Yes. PROBLEM. I wish there was someway I could dispose of my problem." said the original Ditto.

"Yes. One can hope." they both said simultaneously.

* * *

 _ ***With Ben and Bruce…***_

* * *

Driving down the road on the way back to the Wayne Manor, Batman and Ben Tennyson have been hard at work stopping the Riddler from taking over Gotham City. Now, they were heading home after stopping at a fast food place for a quick bite to eat.

"Well, there's nothing more satisfying than punching a bad guy in the face." Ben said to Batman.

"You got that right, Black Beetle. With the Riddler's Crossword Crime spree thwarted, Gotham City can breathe easy once again." Batman replied.

Batman has a good reason for calling Ben by a name like the Black Beetle. You see, during his training with Batman, Ben and the Scarab had created a special battle armor for Ben to wear while he's out fighting crime. The armor itself is a black bodysuit with lighter black armor on his torso, shoulders, forearms and lower legs. On his back is a large backpack looking shell that resembles a scarab beetle that's a darker black than his bodysuit, and acts as a defense for the Scarab that gives Ben his power. His overall appearance is similar to the Blue Beetle of Earth, only with significant differences, besides his colors.

For one thing, after becoming Batman's apprentice, Ben was taken to the Justice League Watchtower. There, he met several other members of the Justice League's founders. Those members included Superman, AKA Clark Kent, Diana of Themyscira, AKA the Wonder Woman and John Stewart, AKA the Green Lantern.

For Ben, it was a childhood dream come true to meet several members of his childhood heroes in person like he had. Unfortunately, it was for more than just a casual visit. Once on the Watchtower, Batman had his new protege train in a special room that was created by the Martian Manhunter, J'onn. A single hour inside it is worth a full year of time. But while the body and mind grow in power and wisdom while in said room, they don't physically age. This way, Ben was able to train for three years in the span of a few hours without really aging a single day.

And the fruits of that training really showed. He was no longer a scrawny weakling who's only form of actual exercise came from Soccer and Track. His muscles developed to the point where he is almost as muscular as Batman is, only slightly less so. As the Black Beetle, this gave Ben a bulkier appearance than that of Blue Beetle.

Oh, but speaking of the Justice League, it seems like a call is coming in from them right now. As proven by Batman's phone in the Batmobile going off. He tapped the screen on the dashboard and answered.

"Go ahead, Watchtower."

"Hey, Bats, it's Booster. Got your emergency alert. Hey, listen, the thing is most of our heavy hitters are out near Rygel trying to stop a rogue comet or a black hole, or something. And a bunch of our guys are at that christening at Aquaman's, and you know the reception down there kinda sucks. I only have a handful of guys on standby." Booster Gold reported. "I could send, let's see… Black Condor,"

As Booster Gold listed off heroes he could send to help, Black Beetle made gestures with his free hand, stating what he thought of those heroes, and drank his soda with the other.

 _'Meh.'_

"Elongated Man,"

 _'Talks too much.'_

"Triumph,"

 _'Loser.'_

"Blood Wind,"

 _'Jerk.'_

"Or… I could come down there myself and give you guys a hand. There's not much going on up here, and the foosball table is still busted."

Black Beetle looked like he was gonna have a heart attack hearing Booster Gold offer to come down and help them himself. If there's one member of the Justice League that he can't tolerate, it's Booster Gold. He began making cut motions with his hand while mouthing 'No! No! No!' to Batman in an effort to keep the showboating hero as far away as possible.

Luckily, Batman seemed to get the message. Besides, he really doesn't like Booster Gold much either.

"That's alright, Booster. Thanks anyway. We'll make due." Batman said.

"You sure? 'Cause it's no problem, the wannabes can totally cover for me." Booster Gold insisted.

Black Beetle frantically looked for something to help, and spotted the wrapper from his burger. He picked it up, and started crinkling it in front of the Batmobile's built-in phone system in an effort to simulate the sound of static.

"Sorry, Booster. Going under some high tension wires." Batman said, playing along.

Black Beetle stopped and stiffened when he heard the gold clad hero's response to that.

"That sounds like paper."

"Over and out." Batman stated.

He ended the call, allowing Black Beetle to release a breath he didn't know he was holding. He ran his hands down his face as he sighed in relief.

"That was too close!" he sighed.

You got that right my fine, black clad friend.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Just a little comedy before the big event of the gang getting together. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and be sure to go on my DeviantArt gallery to check out the cover art I drew for my story: Half Man, Half Scarab… ALL PHANTOM! I think you guys will like it. Anyway, I'll see you all in my next chapter! See you later!**_


End file.
